Lock operating means for automobiles



"Feb. 9, 1937. A. WIEBE LOCK OPERATING MEANS FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed June 26, 1935 ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 9, 1937 PATENT OFFICE,

LOCK OPERATING MEANS FOR AUTO- MOBILES Arthur Wiebe, near Salinas, Calif. Application June 26, 1935, Serial No. 28,497

1 Claim.

The present invention relates particularly to means for locking and unlocking a plurality of looks from one given point.

Having reference to one particular application of the invention, it is to be noted that in the modern automobile of the closed car type such as the sedan, each door is provided with a latch operated by means of a handle disposed upon the outside of the door and also by means of a handle disposed upon the inside of the door so that the door may be opened either from the inside or the outside of the car.

It is also common one door with a key controlled look, but this locking of the one door is of no value if the driver neglects to see that all of the other doors are likewise fastened.

To effect the fastening of the other doors a special locking device is provided for each latch, each such device being operative only from the inside of the car. Consequently before looking the key controlled lock it is necessary for the driver to reach each of the other doors from the inside of the car and operate the latch looking device referred to.

Obviously, when the driver returns and opens the door fitted with the key controlled lock he must reach each of the other doors from the inside in order to unlock them.

The door locking means above referred to is not only inconvenient for the driver, but very often is the cause of a great deal of trouble particularly when the driver attempts to open the several doors while loaded with packages.

It is, therefore, one object of my invention to provide means whereby all of the doors on a car may be simultaneously locked or unlocked as the case may be through the operation of but one key.

It is also an object of the invention to provide means of the character indicated that will not interfere with the normal operation of the door latches. I

It is another object of the invention to provide means of the character indicated that will be simple in form and construction, economical to manufacture, that consists of few parts, is positive in operation, and highly efficient in its practical application.

In the drawing:

The figure is an illustration of a catch and locking means therefor embodying my invention, part being shown in section and part being broken away.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, I show at l a part of the housing of a practice to provide at least lever i1 common form of automobile door latch. In this housing is the bolt 2 urged into an operative position by a spring 3. The bolt 2 may be re tracted by an operator within the car by means of a lever 4 pivoted on housing I at 5 and operating against an ear 6 on the said bolt. The

said bolt 2 may also be retracted from the outside of the door by means of a handle and spindle l, the spindle engaging a finger 8 operating against a finger 9 on the bolt 2.

10 To prevent opening the door from the outside a locking device is provided that is rendered operative only from the inside of the car. In the present instance this device comprises a pawl ID pivoted on the housing I as at H and having two arms as [2 and .I3. The arm l2 has a seat I 4 formed thereon engageable with a similar oppositely disposed seat l5 on the collar l 6 carrying arm or finger 8. The pawl is thrown into and out of engagement with the seat l5 by means of a pivotally mounted in housing I as at l8 and carrying a finger l9 engaging the arm I3 as at 20.

In the above described structure the bolt 2 may, under normal conditions, be freely retracted by any one on the outside of the car by manipulating the handle and spindle I, and such manipulation of the bolt from the outside of the car can only be prevented by the individual adjustment of the locking device II).

In carrying out my invention I provide a master hydraulic cylinder as 2| and mount it in any convenient position in the automobile body.

In each latching mechanism I incorporate a small hydraulic cylinder as 22, connecting the same with the master cylinder by means of a suitable conduit 23. The cylinder 22 is so mounted in the latch mechanism that its piston 24 bears against the back of arm l2, consequently when the piston is advanced the arm i2 is moved into locking engagement with the seat l5 to prevent operation of handle 1.

In the present instance the weight of the arm l2 overbalances the rest of the pawl so that when the piston 24 is withdrawn it falls away from the seat l5 and the handle 1 is released.

It will be noted that this control also permits the pawl to be moved to operative position by the control l1. This individual control of the pawl is desirable since by means of it a passenger may be protected from annoyance by an intruder when the car is moving along the street without looking the other doors of the car.

Mounted in the car body adjacent the master cylinder 2| is a key controlled lock 25, this lock being so disposed that when the bolt 26 is thrown out it will contact and actuate the piston 21 of cylinder 2| and through it actuate all of the smaller cylinders, as 22, to simultaneously and positively lock all of the latches. Reversing the operation and retracting the bolt 25 releases the piston 21 for reverse movement.

.In the present case the end of the master cylinder 2| through which the piston 21 projects is fitted with a cap 28 provided with an opening 29 through which the piston 21 projects. A cylinder 30 is movably fitted over the end of the piston 21 and is provided with a flange 3| at one end seating against the inside of the cap 28 as shown the other end being closed by a wall 33. Mounted within the cylinder 30 and abutting the end of piston 21 is a spring 32.

Since this part 30 with spring 32 is inserted between the piston 21 and bolt 26 it follows that the pressure from the bolt 26 is conveyed through the said spring 32 and the pressure is built up uniformly yet quickly and positively.

It is to be understood, of course, that while I have herein shown and described but one specific embodiment of the invention, changes in form, construction, and method of assembly and opera tion may be made within the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

In a device of the character described, the combination of an hydraulic cylinder provided with a projecting piston, a member mounted on one end of said cylinder to overlie the adjacent piston end, a cylinder having a closed end movably fitted over and resiliently seated on said piston end, and projecting beyond said member, stop means inserted between the cylinder and member, and a key controlled lock having a projectable bolt operatively disposed adjacent the hydraulic cy1- inder with its bolt engaging the closed end of the second cylinder whereby projection of the bolt will actuate the piston.

ARTHUR WIEBE. 

